About

DuinoCube makes it easy to start developing your games on DuinoCube using the Arduino editor. It features a powerful video and audio engine, SD card and USB support, and open-source customization.

With DuinoCube hardware on top, your Arduino becomes a retro gaming system with the capabilities of classic game systems like the SNES and Gameboy Advance. DuinoCube is highly portable so you can show your friends the games you've made.

DuinoCube prototyping is done. Now it is time for production with the support of the Kickstarter community. To keep costs down, I need a large volume of orders.

Technical Summary

Works with Arduino Uno, Mega, and Esplora. Arduino Due compatibility is a stretch goal.

Table of rewards

Stretch goals

$100,000 - Battery pack shield. Allows DuinoCube to run on batteries rather than with a USB cable. Add $7.

$150,000 - NTSC/PAL video adapter. Play DuinoCube on a TV. Add $15. This has been partially prototyped.

What makes a DuinoCube?

When you combine a GFX Shield and a UI Shield with an Arduino board, you get a DuinoCube. The UI Shield goes on top of the Arduino and the GFX Shield goes on top of the UI Shield.

GFX Shield + UI Shield + Arduino = DuinoCube!

The GFX Shield contains the audio and graphics engine running on a FPGA chip. There is only one GFX Shield:

GFX Shield

The UI Shield contains the file system, extra memory, USB host (Uno/Mega only), and an on-board controller chip that saves you the trouble of programming for those components. The UI Shield comes in two versions:

Detailed Diagrams

UI Shield for Esplora detail (please excuse the roughness, this is not the final revision).

Other uses for DuinoCube shields

The UI Shields can be used as a generic file system, or as a USB host controller for the Arduino Uno/Mega version.

The GFX Shield can be used as a generic FPGA shield. Just reprogram the FPGA with an Altera USB Blaster cable.

Risks and challenges

I have late-stage prototypes for DuinoCube. Most of the challenge will be in producing them. This is my first attempt at a mass production order of hardware. To avoid beginner's mistakes, I am following the recommendations of the creator of Gameduino 2 in planning my production.

I have contacted SeeedStudio to manufacture the production run. They are a reputable electronics company that should get the job done. But, if things fall through with Seeed, I have some backup manufacturers.

The stretch goals are either undeveloped or in the early prototype stage. They are not as far along as my main prototypes.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

DuinoCube UI Shield for Arduino Esplora. Has microSD slot, coprocessor, extra RAM, controller chip for it all. Compatible with Gameduino 1 & 2. Can be used as a general adapter board for Esplora (has Uno-style headers).